More Coverage

Many highways are closed, schools shutdown and university and college classes cancelled as the region is caught in a deep chill.

If that isn't enough, areas north of London are being hit with what Environment Canada officially terms a blizzard.

The Thames Valley District school board has closed all schools and facilities because of the unprecedented and dangerous wind chill temperatures. The London District Catholic school board and the Avon Maitland school board have also closed all schools.

“We share parents’ concern for the safety of students and have decided to remain closed for a second day today,” Thames Valley District school board education director Laura Elliott said in a statement.

With temperatures dropping to -25 degrees Celsius overnight, London smashed the cold weather record for January 7 set in 1942 when the mercury hit a low of -21.7.

Both Western University and Fanshawe College have cancelled all classes for Tuesday although the university and college remain open.

The blizzard warning covers Huron and Perth Counties, Stratford, Goderich, Northern Wellington County, Bruce County, Owen Sound, Grey County and the Bruce Peninsula.

A wind chill warning remains in effect for London, Woodstock, Sarnia, Chatham-Kent and most of Southwestern Ontario.

In a severe weather bulletin updated at 4:53 a.m., Environment Canada said the blizzard conditions hitting north of London will "slowly ease somewhat" Tuesday night although snow squalls and blowing snow are likely to continue in many areas.

Snowfall amounts Tuesday in the blizzard area are likely in the 15 to 20 centimetre range.

"Frequent to widespread very low to nil visibilities with whiteout conditions are expected especially in exposed areas. The combination of fresh heavy snowfall from the recent snowstorm with intense snow squalls and bitter wind chills poses a life-threatening risk for anyone outside for any duration, or stranded in vehicles if roads become snow-blocked," Environment Canada's bulletin said.

In its wind chill warning for the London area, Environment Canada advised there will be extreme wind chills from minus 30 to minus 40 Tuesday and Tuesday night. Exposed skin may freeze in under five minutes.

The wind chill situation is expected to improve slowly on Wednesday as temperatures rise and winds begin to ease.

In Perth County, officials pleaded for people to stay off the roads as plow operators contended with big drifts and stranded vehicles creating hazards.

At 6:35 a.m. the Perth County roads department tweeted: "Heard one of our operators say Line 33 is an obstacle course. He can't get through to plow."

At noon on Tuesday, Perth County OPP said many roads in the county remain impassable because of extensive ground drifting and stranded vehicles.

OPP reminded motorists it is against the law to drive on closed roads.

The frigid weather was a factor in some homes in north-central London missing their garbage and blue box pickup on Monday.

Jay Stanford, the city's director of environmental and solid waste said garbage crews were unable to get to about 2,000 homes in Zone C and another 3,000 missed blue box collection because of the weather conditions and high post-Christmas volume of trash and collectables.

He said extreme cold has been tough for the crews. The two-person garbage crews can take turns driving or collecting but the recycling trucks are staffed by a single person.

"They have to make sure they get some warmup time in their cab...for the next couple of days the frostbite alert is high."

Stanford said the homes that were missed in Zone C will get covered Tuesday morning before crews move on to Zone D in north-east London.

He expects all trash will be collected in Zone D Tuesday but the blue box collection will likely not be finished until Wednesday morning.

Stanford said it is not unusual for blue-box pickups to spill over to a second day during high-volume periods but missed garbage pickups are rare.

"I think people understand with all the extra garbage, the cold weather and the snow," said Stanford.